"the ingenuity and artistry on display is breathtaking"

"nothing short of magical"

Shadow Theatre in Vancouver Canada

about us

Mind of a Snail is a shadow puppetry duo currently based out of Vancouver BC. Since 2003, Chloé Ziner and Jessica Gabriel have been developing a multilayered style of visual storytelling using overhead projectors as their main light source. Their performances play at the intersection of visual arts, clowning & music. As artistic collaborators, they are interested in exploring beyond the boundaries of traditional theatre, and creating magical immersive experiences for their audiences. Mind of a Snail’s shadow theatre has been described as an early National Film Board animation created live before your eyes.

They have created work for many organizations, including Vancouver Art Gallery, Telus World of Science, Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and numerous others. They have also performed in theatre & arts festivals across Canada such as Intrepid Theatre’s Winterlab in Victoria, Revolver Festival in Vancouver, Summerworks in Toronto, Casteliers International Puppetry Festival in Montreal, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Artswells Festival in BC and many more.

Mind of a Snail’s show “Caws & Effect” won Patron’s Pick in Winnipeg and Vancouver Fringe Festivals in 2014, and Producers Pick at London Fringe, Patron’s Pick at Toronto Fringe and Best of Fest at Edmonton Fringe 2015. They were nominated for Outstanding Projection Design for Persephone Theatre’s production of “Matchstick” at the SATAwards. They are also recipients of the Vancouver Fringe Festival’s Joanna Maratta Award for professional development in 2013. They were key collaborators in Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret’s 2011 Jessie Award nominated “Hard Times Hit Parade”.